BrightOn Travel 2015: The point of using ‘Big Data’ is to serve fewer ads

The fundamental objective of the exploitation of Big Data is to serve fewer ads and to make those that are served more relevant, BrightOn Travel delegates were told.

Last week’s BrightOn Travel half-day conference organised by CWT Digital looked at the changing dynamics in the online routes to the travel supermarket. Sojern’s Aaron Ritoper was one the speakers. Lee Hayhurst reports

The fundamental objective of the exploitation of Big Data is to serve fewer ads and to make those that are served more relevant, BrightOn Travel delegates were told.

Aaron Ritoper, Sojern’s strategic partnerships director EMEA and APAC, said: “We are using new generation technology to extract economic value from vast quantities of data.

“This is really about serving less ads but more relevant ads to the right people. We are making certain traditional marketing techniques obsolete.”

Ritoper said old-fashioned segment marketing means it is impossible to distinguish between people who look the same based on traditional demographics but in fact behave differently.

“The problem is if you drive ads based on demographic segmentation you are going to miss the richness how people buy travel and what we are each interested in.

“If you look at individual behaviour you can serve much more focused relevant and smart advertising.”

Sojern’s marketing platform is allowing its clients to delve into consumer behavior to identify within segments who are early bookers and who are procrastinators, said Ritoper.

And he said it can identify emerging trends like travel demand spikes around certain events, citing the recent Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.

“You begin to have some basis to plan more effective spend on marketing,” added Ritoper.

“We are aggregating huge amounts of travel behaviours and using sophisticated technology to read shopping patterns at an individual level.

“That becomes extremely powerful and extremely flexible and offers a number of opportunities to reach people.”

The promise of behavioural targeting means campaigns can be tailored for people who are known to be in the different phases of travel planning and booking.

Ritoper said this approach allows firms to know who not to show ads to when they are poised to book having made their decision.

Or conversely it means firms can know if a customer has decided a product is not for them so they don’t waste marketing spend retargeting them with something they have rejected.

“To get the most effect out of this new process it comes down to measurability and being able to distinguish which campaigns are working better that others.

“Looking at the data might show the conversions you get are from people who are already loyal customers.

“It allows you to better understand exactly who the people you are serving messages to.”